One brief Moment
by SquaMata
Summary: This oneshot is dedicated to missyromanticme15 who was the author of Marriage for a Million. You will never be forgotten! Summary: Ichigo was finally able to confess to Rukia, but then he had to face his worst nightmare instead. How could one brief moment change everything?


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 _ **One brief Moment**_

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 **This oneshot is dedicated to missyromanticme15 who was the author of Marriage for a Million. Your sudden death shocked me deeply though we don't know us personally and I don't even know if you have ever read my review, but it evoked the urge to write a story for you. I hope you will find peace wherever you are right now.**

 **My dearest condolences to your family.**

 **You will never be forgotten.**

 **Respectfully yours,**

 _SquaMata_

* * *

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 _ **One brief Moment**_

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Ichigo was sitting in his room, his gaze unfocused to the distance of the night sky.

His heart, his soul and every piece of his body hurt and screamed for her.

Never in his whole life he would be able to confess, his words would be damned to be unspoken forever.

He would never get a chance.

.

A slight tremble seared through his body and he turned to the side. His eyes traced the outlines of his closet, her former secret sleeping place.

The young man shuddered as realisation hit him hard. That night everything had changed. It tore heavily on his heart and his throat felt constricted.

.

 _Rukia…_

.

Never again would she step out of his closet at the weirdest moments.

Never again would she try to explain something with her ridiculous drawings.

Never again they would banter.

Never again there would be a rare moment when he would make her smile.

 _Her shy smile._

.

This night he wanted to tell her. He had planned it for so long and he was certsin after those months of fighting his true feelings.

He was so sure…

Then there had been that damn hollow and Ichigo had to put his plan on ice. There would be enough time later.

Why the hell he had not thought about the possible outcome?

A hollow was a menacing threat and there was always a risk of danger and harm. It was common knowledge that whenever something had become routine the chance of eliciting errors was much higher.

Never again they would face a battle together.

.

Sighing bitterly he averted his eyes only to unintentionally catch sight of a post card of her favourite bunny on the pin board over his desk.

Never again he would see her smile.

With a heart-shatteringly painful expression plastered on his pale face the strawberry-blonde laid down on his bed closing his eyes and rubbed his head.

.

 _It can't be._

 _Rukia…_

 _._

He had planned it so well and detailed. They had been alone at home for the weekend, his father had knowingly taken his sisters on a trip to Tokyo to provide them some time alone.

Nobody had seen it coming.

Ichigo had prepared dinner for them two, afterwards he had taken her to her favourite place in the park. There he had taken her hands and gently he had pulled her close. Her violet eyes had turned wide in irritation and a small blush had spread over her cheeks.

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"Ichigo…"

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Her confusion had vanished soon as she had seen the emotions seeping from his affectionate smile. They had been drawn together, centimetre after centimetre.

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"Rukia, I wanted to tell you something."

.

Their glances had switched from each other's eyes to the lips and back.

 _Her beautiful face._

 _Her delighted eyes._

 _Her kissable lips…_

 _._

"Rukia, I…"

.

And of all moments it had been the very second that he had been disturbed in his attempt to tell her.

With a sweet smile she had squeezed his hand, then they had rushed to the transmitted location of their opponent. Ichigo had sliced its head off when he had heard her scream in panic. As he had turned his head he had been confronted with his worst nightmare.

Two other hollows had caught her in a moment of inattention. Widened violet eyes looked at him in a silent scream of fear and terror. Within the blink of an eye he had been getting the hollows off of her to fight them alone in a frenzy. Her hand had stretched to where he had been dealing with the last one and her eyes had been looking into the very same direction, but before the second hollow had been disposed of his existence, she had taken her last breath.

When Ichigo had finally managed to get to her side for help, he had looked into already inanimate eyes. The violet had been the same, but the glimmer had been gone. Rukia had not been breathing anymore and deep red blood had been pooling all around her. The frightened man had tried to reanimate the lifeless girl until he had broken down. The sight of her with pain written all over her face, her eyes had lost its focus and her body had been slowly turning cold would haunt him forever. It was the last sight he would ever have of her. The squad had come soon after as backup, but it had been too late.

Rukia had died.

.

They would never get the chance to finish what they had started. They would never follow their mutual need to kiss eventually, to touch each other, to relish in the near of the other or to even make love.

 _It can't be._

How could one brief moment change everything?

 _I've been waiting too long._

 _She is gone..._

 _._

Nobody was safe from death, not even Shinigami get spared, that he was sure about now. The squad had brought him home, he had been deep in shock. Her body had been transferred back to soul society with the other squad members, but Renji had insisted to stay with Ichigo. He had retreated to the living room and gave Ichigo enough space to deal with his sorrow, but he would be there if he needed him.

Ichigo couldn't fathom that he had not even been at her side to hold her hand and give her comfort as she had lost her last fight. He had not been able to bring her back to life as hard as he had tried.

That night the love of his life had died.

The words that would be left unspoken forever burnt in his very soul, slowly constricting his chest and tearing him apart. Tears started falling down from his exhausted hazel eyes.

.

 _I want to be with you._

 _I will never let you go again._

 _Stay with me._

 _._

 _Rukia, I love you._

 _._


End file.
